Feeding behavior and trophic interaction of three shark species in the Galapagos Marine Reserve.

ABSTRACT: There is great concern about the future of sharks in Ecuador because of the lack of biological knowledge of most species that inhabit the region. This paper analyzes the feeding behavior of the pelagic thresher shark (Alopias pelagicus), the blue shark (Prionace glauca) and the silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) through the use of stable isotopes of carbon and nitrogen (δ13C and δ15N), with the aim of determining the degree of interaction between these species in the Galapagos Marine Reserve. No interspecific differences were found in use of oceanic vs. inshore feeding areas (δ13C: Kruskal-Wallis test, p = 0.09). The position in the hierarchy of the food web where A. pelagicus feeds differed from that of the other species (δ15N: Kruskal-Wallis test, p = 0.01). There were no significant

SUBMITTER: Paez-Rosas D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5971838 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature